


Divide and Conquer

by Daegaer



Series: Burning Rome [13]
Category: Weiß Kreuz
Genre: 1st Century CE, AU, Alternate Universe - Ancient Rome, Assassins & Hitmen, Druids, Gen, Psychic Abilities, Roman Britain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:35:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28284822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daegaer/pseuds/Daegaer
Summary: Sesithacus and Caratacus get an assignment.
Series: Burning Rome [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/5364
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	Divide and Conquer

**Author's Note:**

  * For [indelicateink](https://archiveofourown.org/users/indelicateink/gifts).



> Merry Christmas, Indelicateink!

The master of spies sent a woman to Sesithacus. An ancient crone unfolded herself from where she had been sweeping the floor of the corridor with a bundle of twigs and shed thirty years from her apparent age as she stood to stare him straight in the eyes. He looked at her eyes like those of a wolf and the scar vanishing up her left arm under the tunic she wore like a man and didn't even think of putting a hand on her breast.

"Canininus says you will go to the room by the kitchens," she said, and turned away.

"When?"

"Now. Bring the Briton. No others."

She strode off. He listened to her thoughts as she went, finding them a confusing dark roil, mixing Latin and a language he didn't know. She had hoped he'd offend her. She was more like Februus than not, he guessed, though maybe not as interested in killing gods. He shook his head in annoyance and went hunting for missing Celts.

Caratacus was outside in what passed for the courtyard in the quarters allocated to those under Canininus. It was dirty and dusty, not at all like the courtyard of the rich man they had worked for before. He stood quite still, one hand raised; coming closer Sesithacus saw that a thrush had alighted on his fingers, and that the Briton was murmuring to it. When he was within ten paces it flew away, a quick flutter of brown wings, and Caratacus turned to face him.

"You've come to bring me to the spymaster."

"Yes."

"Not the others?"

"So it seems. You were talking to that bird."

"Was I? We shouldn't keep Canininus waiting, Sesithacus."

Sesithacus closed his eyes a moment, then took Caratacus's arm and walked side by side with him to the kitchens. There was a room near them that was used for storage; Caratacus pointed his staff at its door.

"Listen, Sesithacus. What is he thinking?"

"I've never been able to make much sense of his thoughts," Sesithacus muttered, but looked at the door, imagining Canininus, thinking of him sitting at a table, seeing how he interlaced his narrow, dark fingers, how he hid his thoughts behind his deep-brown eyes –

Images flashed in his mind: a man in a white toga, a Roman boy weeping, something about - music? – a clear image of a bowl of shellfish, all interlaced with a murmuring in a language that made no sense at all.

"I think he's reading in his own language," Sesithacus said in disgust. "And mostly thinking about his own gods-cursed lunch."

Caratacus gave him a weary look, smoothed his moustache down, and rapped on the door with his staff. There was a pause, then the door opened. Canininus smiled at them very politely.

"Come in."

He was holding a knife in the hand concealed behind the door, Sesithacus knew all at once. He shoved the knowledge as hard as he could at Caratacus and was astonished to see the Briton stagger.

"We are here by your invitation," Sesithacus said.

Canininus looked at him, then smiled a little more like he meant it. It was an altogether meaner smile.

"So you are."

He stepped back, and held up both hands, the left with a long, sharp dagger in it, and stepped back until he could put the knife on the table behind him.

"Come in."

There were waxed writing tablets on the table, all of them firmly closed. Sesithacus thought it an over careful attention to detail. Not one of the four of them could read in Latin, let alone whatever language Canininus preferred to get his reports in. He considered the matter; perhaps Sanagi could. That boy could do a surprising number of things.

"You wanted to see Sesithacus and myself?" Caratacus said.

"Yes," Canininus said, sitting down. "There is a distinguished gentleman whose nephew has spoken out against the emperor. This nephew has in fact previously been implicated in improper conduct with a wife of the previous Caesar, the Divine Claudius, before he married Caesar's mother."

"This nephew is still alive?" Sesithacus said in astonishment. "Does he have the gods in his tunic folds?"

"Almost as good," Canininus said. "He has an uncle of _such_ distinguished service that he has managed to extricate his nephew from his predicaments not once but twice. Quite astonishing. One would think this office didn't exist. But now he's made a fatal error himself. He has insulted Caesar's art. He pretended that his heart was failing so that he could be carried from a performance and yet to this very day is still marching around Rome, a hale and hearty old soldier. I want his heart to fail in truth."

"This man," Caratacus said. "He's powerful enough to save a kinsman who has slept with an emperor's _wife_ and one who speaks against the current emperor. You or a man like you should have removed him years ago. Why does he still live, and why give this task to men who have just come to you?"

"Perhaps he's too well-guarded and I don't wish to lose any of my best and most trusted operatives," Canininus said. "Perhaps it's a test of your skills. Or perhaps it's a gift to you and I know you won't stop until the work is carried out once you hear the man's name."

"Why?" Sesithacus said. "Who is he?"

Canininus looked at them closely as a look of utter clarity came into Caratacus's face.

"Aulus Plautius," Canininus said, Caratacus whispering the words along with him.

"Who?" Sesithacus said, bewildered.

Caratacus raised his hands up high, utter joy in his face.

"Oh, gods of my people! I know you are looking on my path – see whom I shall send you! That leader of wolves, that serpent's tooth; may his end be as the beginning of what he brought to my people!"

Canininus beamed at him, his narrow dark face as bright as a well-honed blade.

"Personally I find belief in the gods to be meaningless," he said, "but it is terribly motivational and I do like to see my operatives happy. I must find someone who has massacred thousands of Germanic tribespeople for you, Sesithacus."

"Thanks," Sesithacus said numbly. "I'll help Caratacus for the moment."

"Good. I'll find tasks for your friends too. Obviously not like this, as Rome hasn't taken Hibernia – what _would_ be the point? Terrible, useless place by all accounts. And the boy doesn't make any sense about his birthplace. That's all. You'll be given details about the location of Plautius's house. I'll expect you to do this quickly."

"Yes," Caratacus said, looking like a boy who'd been told he'd been set free to meet his sweetheart.

Sesithacus wished with all his heart that he was a perfectly normal farmer back at home in his village.

**Author's Note:**

> Aulus Plautius led the invading Roman forces in 43 CE that started the Roman colonization of Britain. He really did get his nephew out of trouble after being accused of sleeping with Messalina, but didn't feign a heart attack to avoid listening to Nero play the lyre. Other men supposedly did, though.


End file.
